Hudson Planners reorganize for 2013

Joseph Mulligan was unanimously elected as chairman of the 2013 planning commission at its Jan. 14 reorganizational meeting.

Mulligan, formerly the vice chairman, accepted the leadership gavel from 2012 chairperson, Jennifer Barone. Barone was unanimously elected as vice chairperson for 2013.

Two new commission members, Carol Gasper and Thomas Harvie, were sworn in at the meeting by Aimee Lane, assistant city solicitor.

Gasper, a resident of Hudson for 11 years, is an attorney with offices in Twinsburg. While living in Twinsburg Township, she served as a zoning commissioner and also as a township trustee.

She earned a bachelor's degree at Kent State University and her juris doctor degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.

Harvie, also an attorney, is retired from Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. where he served as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary. He is a graduate of Stanford University and Yale Law School. He also attended Harvard Business School's advanced management program. He served as a captain with the U.S. Army and was assigned to Staff Judge Advocate as court martial counsel.

He is a trustee of Hiram College and the Cleveland Institute of Music and is a member of the board of overseers of Blossom Music Center.

Gasper and Harvie will fill seats vacated by Neal O'Keefe, whose term expired, and Anthony Cox, who moved out of the city.

The first order of business, came from Kagler, who congratulated Mark Richardson on his promotion to director of community development.

Kagler said he was "impressed" with Richardson's professionalism over the past 12 years. Richardson served as the city's planning director since 2000 and has been serving as interim community development director since Thomas King's retirement in April 2012.